Zero to Hero
by Rosius
Summary: Will Turner was just a lowly blacksmith in love with a woman he could never have. But everything changed when he saved that woman from an attempted abduction by pirates. Now, he's being heralded a hero, and they both have to live with the consequences. WE


******Chapter 1**

An eerie silence had fallen over Port Royal, setting many of its citizens on edge.

Even the port's least superstitious residents sensed that something was about to happen, and many had holed themselves up in their homes. Shop owners closed their stores early when it became apparent that there wasn't going to be any more customers, and only Brown's Blacksmith remained open. The owner, Mr. Brown, had gone home hours earlier after waking from his drunken stupor, leaving his apprentice, William Turner, to finish the day's work and then lock up.

Three and a half hours later, Will was still working. He'd finished the day's chores and prepared several of the next day's orders, but wasn't yet willing to retire. The only thing he had waiting for him was a small and uninviting straw mattress in the blacksmith's loft. As a highly skilled—but poorly paid—apprentice, the small place above his place of work was Will's only choice when it came to shelter. His wages were barely enough to cover the costs of food and water, with a small allowance for entertainment and minor purchases—there simply wasn't any money for a home of his own.

This was a fact that depressed most apprentices, but Will wasn't so easily discouraged. He'd been cutting personal costs at every area possible in order to save up for a home of his own for several _years_, and all of his hard work was finally about to pay off. With the small amount of money he'd saved, he'd been able to purchase a dilapidated bungalow on the edge of town. The place was humble, but sufficient for his needs. Better yet, its poor condition made for a much lower selling price. The leaking roof would prove to be a nuisance, but Will reasoned that he could fix the house's many problems with his own hands—and save money in doing so.

He was set to move in tomorrow. Excited wasn't a strong enough word to describe how Will felt when he first discovered the house was his. Still, it wasn't his enthusiasm about moving that kept him working late each night. Rather, it was his _lack_ of enthusiasm of _going to bed_ that made him stay up late. Although he was always tired, and sleep was never unwelcome, Will purposefully stayed up late and worked himself to exhaustion. That way, when he finally went to bed, he'd be able to fall asleep immediately, and not lay awake, tormented by thoughts of _her. _Of his Elizabeth.

The harsh reality of the situation, though, was that Elizabeth wasn't his. Will loved her more than anything, yet the governor's daughter thought of him as nothing more than an old childhood friend. They rarely talked anymore, yet Will knew this wasn't Elizabeth's fault. It was his.

He was the one who constantly distanced himself from her in conversations, but he had to do so. They shared the same planet, but their worlds weren't even remotely similar. Elizabeth—the name brought a smile to Will's lips—lived a life of privilege, while _he _was nothing more than a poor blacksmith's apprentice. Of course, none of that would matter if Elizabeth cared for him the way he cared for her, but because she didn't, the difference of their lifestyles meant everything. It defined their relationship. Whether he liked it or not—the obvious choice being not—Elizabeth would always be out of his reach.

Will sighed. As much as it hurt him to admit it, it was probably best this way. He'd never be able to provide Elizabeth with the lifestyle she was accustomed to, and, simply put, he wasn't good enough for her. No one was.

Still, if one person came even close to being her perfect match, it would have to be James Norrington. The captain—or commodore, as of the day's earlier ceremony—was a rich, kind, and noble man. He would take good care of Elizabeth. That was the only thought that could put Will's mind to rest. He'd heard of the Commodore's proposal at the ceremony, and knew it was only a matter of time before Elizabeth responded with a resounding "yes." The thought brought about an intense pain in Will's chest—right about where his heart was—but he consoled himself with the thought that Elizabeth would be happy. The only pity was that he wasn't _he_ one to make her feel that way.

Suddenly, shouts rang out across the town, breaking Will's concentration on his work. Gunfire and more shouts followed quickly after, and any fatigue Will had previously felt was gone—he was suddenly alert. There was a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he didn't allow himself to dwell on it. Instead, he yanked open the door to the blacksmith and looked outside. What he saw was enough to make his blood run cold. Pirates.

They were attacking the port.

Will ran back into the blacksmith and grabbed a sword. Then, without so much as a second thought, he ducked out onto the street and stepped into the centre of the struggle. Swords clashed all around him, but the most popular weapons of choice seemed to be those that people could grab from their house. Axes, knives, and pitchforks were all present—sure signs that most of the people fighting back against the pirates were simple farmers, bakers, and other citizens. The soldiers were busy elsewhere.

Will wasted no time in burying a hatchet in the back of a pirate, and quickly moved on to swordfight with another. Several pirates and a few near-death experiences later, he turned around suddenly and realized that his worst nightmare had come true: Elizabeth was in danger.

Off in the distance, just a top the hill where her mansion lay, Elizabeth had been taken captive by a group of pirates. Their filthy hands held her in a tight grip, and though she struggled, they were easily forcing her to go where they wanted.

Will's blood began to boil, and his eyes immediately scanned the crowd, hoping to find a break in the fighting where he could travel through without a fight, so that he could reach and rescue Elizabeth without delay. Before he could determine the best possible route, however, a miracle occurred. He found no other way to explain how a pirate—whom he'd killed only minutes earlier—was suddenly alive and well… and staring him right in the eyes.

The pirate waved the hatchet Will had killed him with in the air, a smile on his face. Will's split-second hesitation was all another pirate needed in order to approach him from behind, and deal him a harsh blow to the head.

Will fell to the ground. Blood, sweat and dirt mixed together and tried to fill his eyes, and his vision slowly faded. Just before he was about to pass out, he looked up and caught site of the governor's mansion—of Elizabeth's home. The sight was enough to remind Will of what he had to do, and, with strength he didn't even know he had, he fought back the darkness that was trying to overwhelm him.

Slowly, he managed to stand up, and, ignoring the sharp pain in his head, he made his way towards where he last saw Elizabeth. Eventually, he made it atop the hill, and caught site of her again.

The pirates seemed to be forcing her towards the docks, but were having a hard time in doing so. They were taking the long way around so that they could avoid most of the fighting, and wouldn't have to fight off others as well as keep Elizabeth under control.

Will began running towards them as fast as his legs would carry him, and didn't even bother with stealth as he closed in on them. He pulled out his sword and quickly brought it down on the first pirate, who fell to the ground with little resistance. The second and third also went down before they had time to react, but the fourth and final pirate was ready for Will when he came.

Swords clashed and men fought, but Will quickly overcame the other man. He pushed the pirate back from the shadows into the moonlight, and his eyes grew wide with what he saw.

The pirate was a walking skeleton.

Elizabeth screamed and the adrenaline that had pushed Will so far was finally beginning to run out. The other three pirates rose from the ground and approached him from behind. Elizabeth's scream for him to watch his back was Will's only warning, but it was sufficient.

He turned around and blocked their blows at the last possible moment, but was still surrounded. The fight was four against two and Elizabeth was weaponless. Her role in the fight was limited to warning Will whenever one of the pirates came too close to harming him.

Ten minutes into the struggle, Will knew he wouldn't be able to fight for much longer. The blood loss from his head wound was making him dizzy, and his vision was blurred. His strength was leaving him quickly, and he became desperate with the knowledge that there was no possible way for him to defeat four pirates that couldn't die.

It was only in the last few minutes of his strength, when he realized where he was and that his new house was only three doors down, that he got an idea. Grabbing a stunned Elizabeth, Will pulled her into his house and bolted the door shut. Elizabeth seemed to be snapped out of her daze at the sound of the door slamming shut, and she immediately turned to Will with wide eyes.

"What's happening? What do they want?"

Will frowned, "They're pirates. They want nothing more than to kill and steal from as many innocent men, women and children as they can. They've invaded the port."

"What can I do to help?"

Elizabeth's question caught Will off guard, and for a moment, the blacksmith's apprentice looked at her in surprise. Their eyes met and suddenly the disastrous events occurring outside didn't seem to be of much importance. Only when a bony pirate hand reached in through a window were the two brought back to reality.

Will raised his sword in the air cut off the hand, out of spite more than necessity. He had installed bars in the windows and a brand new door with a lock the other day, in order to discourage thieves. It wasn't as if he had much to steal, but the few possessions he did have where too precious to him to lose. Now, Will was very grateful that he'd taken the time to secure his household. There was no way inside the house except for the door, which was secure, so he and Elizabeth were safe… for the time being.

"Will, your head… you're bleeding badly." Elizabeth's voice was filled with concern, and it cut through Will's thoughts. He turned to look at her and, upon seeing the look on her face, immediately felt guilty for worrying her.

"I'll be fine." Will tried to reassure her, but in reality, he wasn't sure he would be fine. His head was pounding, and his hands were shaking. The adrenaline he had earlier relied on as a source of energy, which he needed to protect Elizabeth, was running out, and it left him feeling weak. Before Will was even certain of what was happening, the world began to spin. His legs grew weak and eventually gave out from under him, which elicited a gasp from Elizabeth.

The last thing Will saw before he passed out was Elizabeth, reaching out to catch him, and protect him from his fall. Obviously, she failed.

He woke up only half a minute later, and saw a worried Elizabeth leaning over him. He opened his mouth to ask what she was doing, but found his mouth was too dry to speak. He suddenly felt nauseous, but when he instinctively tried to sit up to ease the uneasiness of his stomach, his head protested violently with a sharp pain.

"Oh!" Elizabeth looked at Will's face and smiled softly. She appeared relieved that he had opened his eyes, and Will noted that she had tears in her own.

Wetting his lips, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, "You just passed out in the middle of the floor and you're asking me what's wrong?" She shook her head in disbelief, then opened and closed her mouth several times, as if she wanted to say something, but was having difficulty doing so. "Um… how does your head feel?"

Will decided to be honest, "Not good."

Elizabeth nodded. She forced a smile and looked around the room, then began to untie the shawl she was wearing. Upon Will's questioning look, she explained, "I can use it to fashion a tourniquet. It will stop the bleeding from your head."

"But that's your favourite shawl! I know, I've noticed that you wear it more often than the others."

Elizabeth smirked and arched her left eyebrow, "Well, I'm flattered that you pay so much attention to my wardrobe." Will's cheeks grew crimson, and Elizabeth's grinned. "You're right, it is my favourite shawl, but it's only a shawl, and you're worth much more to me than that."

Upon realizing what she had said, Elizabeth blushed and looked the other way. Once she regained her composure, she returned her attention to Will and set about tending to his head wound. Both of them were all-too aware of the four pirates who were still searching for a way inside the house, but they also knew that there was no way in other than the door. When the pirates began trying to break it down, they'd have something to worry about, but for the moment, they were safe.

Still, the fear that the pirates might somehow find an alternate entrance to the house nagged at Elizabeth's mind as she dressed Will's wound. She wasn't a doctor, and so the tourniquet was not particularly neat, but it was the best she could do under the circumstances—her hands were shaking with fear, and therefore weren't being very co-operative with her efforts.

Will attributed her fear to the four dangerous men outside, who were likely waiting to kill them both, but in reality Elizabeth was scared for Will's health. She knew how dangerous a blow to the head could be, and feared losing him.

"All done." Elizabeth smiled at Will, whose right hand immediately went to feel his head, "I'm sorry, but it's the best I could do."

"No," Will laid his hand on top of Elizabeth's then pulled back quickly went a spark ran up his arm, "you did a wonderful job. Thank you."

Elizabeth nodded to show that she'd heard him, then blushed when she realized how they were situated. When Will fainted, she had left behind all thoughts of propriety and sat on the ground, so that she could place his head in her lap. While he was unconscious, she had taken advantage of the situation to run her fingers through his hair—to feel for the wound, she reasoned with herself—but now that he was awake things were much more awkward.

Will seemed to notice too, and he also blushed before he sat up quickly—a little too quickly, if his sudden wince was any indication. He looked at Elizabeth and opened his mouth to assure her that he was okay, when something caught his eye.

Though her shawl had hidden it before, the pendant that hung around Elizabeth's neck was clearly visible now that the shawl was gone. Will opened his mouth in shock, "Where did you get that?"

Though he wasn't in the least bit angry, Elizabeth interpreted his reaction as if he was, and took a nervous breath before trying to explain herself. "I'm sorry Will. I got it from you, on the night we met. You had just introduced yourself to me and then you passed out and I noticed the pendant around your neck and I knew that if anyone else saw they'd have thought you were a pirate. I loved pirates so I would have understood, but Norrington, who disapproved of my infatuation, had just told me that all pirates were to be hung. I didn't want that to happen to you, but I thought you were a pirate, so I hid the evidence to protect you."

Will hung his head, "That was my father's pendant. He was a sea merchant who sent it to me one day. I… I thought I'd lost it in the wreck when the ship I was on sank that day, I never thought that you would've…"

"Oh Will, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, I only had your best interest in mind—"

The pained look in Will's eyes broke Elizabeth's heart. She had never meant to harm him, for what she'd said was true. She'd taken the medallion to protect him. It was only later in her life, after she'd realized that she loved him, that she began to wear it. It helped her feel closer to him.

"Wait." Will's voice was quiet, but somehow, it demanded her attention. "Maybe that's it. Maybe that medallion is why the pirates are here! My father must have killed one of their crew several years ago, and then sent that medallion, which the pirate was wearing, to me. Now the pirates want it back! I don't know why they'd go through so much effort to get back such a small token, but… it's the only thing that makes sense!"

Before Elizabeth could even register what was going on, Will had grabbed the medallion and stood up. He walked quickly over to the window, which had bars, but no glass, so the pirates outside had no trouble hearing him.

"Is this what you want?" All four pirates stared greedily at the medallion, and Will knew his suspicions were right. "If I give this to you, will you leave Port Royal and promise never to return?"

For a moment, everything was silent. Then, a scream broke out from the other side of the port—where pirates and citizens were still engaged in battle. Will only had to wait a moment longer before the bravest pirate stepped forward.

"Where's the Turner girl?"

Will looked confused. "There is no 'Turner girl' here. Just Miss Swann and myself. I am Will Turner, but I don't have any sisters. Even my mother is dead."

"Will? As is in William? Son of Bill Turner?"

Will suddenly realized that, if the pirates were in Port Royal for revenge, it may not have been very bright to reveal his true identity. Still, now that the secret was out, there was no point in denying it. "Yes."

"Oh, this is better than we thought!" The bravest pirate, who appeared to be the leader of the group, grinned, revealing rotting yellow teeth. "Fine, _Will Turner. _Give us the medallion and we'll leave this previous port of yours alone forever."

"How do I know that you'll keep your word?"

A new pirate stepped forward, "We pirates have a ritual that binds us to our word. We make a small cut in our right hand with our own sword, then smear it on the object that's being exchanged. Anyone who does this seals the terms of any deal, and makes them irreversible."

Will didn't quite understand why the four pirates exchanged excited looks at this, but he saw no other option than to oblige. He shot the men in front of him a wary look—one that clearly communicated how little he trusted them—then drew his sword across his hand. A thin red line quickly appeared, and Will smeared it across the medallion before handing it to the pirates through the bars in the window.

"Call your men off. You have what you need, now leave."

"Aye Mr. Turner, we'll do just that. You won't be hearing from us anytime soon."

At that, the four men ran off towards the shore. Will turned to Elizabeth, who was still trying to wrap her head around everything that had just happened. She blinked rapidly several times before a grin slowly slid across her face. "William Turner, hero of Port Royal."

Will blushed and shook his head. "What kind of hero makes a deal with pirates?"

"My kind." Elizabeth's eyes grew wide with the realization that she'd just claimed Will as her own, and she stuttered to cover her mistake. "I, what I… I mean you, you saved my life. So that makes you a hero to me."

An awkward silence filled the room, and both young people were aware of it. Will cleared his throat, as if uncertain what to say, and Elizabeth, feeling emboldened by her near death experience, took a step forward. "You _are_ a hero, Will, and I will see that you are properly rewarded as one."

She made a move for the door before Will could stop her, for she knew all too well that he would try. Humility was a good quality, she knew, but Will was almost too humble. He was always doing good deeds, yet he never sought credit, and this time, Elizabeth wanted to make sure that his heroics were noticed.

"Wait!" Will called to her from his doorway, but she was already turning the street corner. Elizabeth knew that Will was entirely too proper to chase her through the streets, and decided to use this to her advantage. Rather than wait until the next morning, when things had settled down and Will might find a chance to silence her, she would tell her father of what had taken place right away.

Running quickly to her mansion, she saw that she had arrived just in time. Commodore Norrington was escorting her father to the front door. They must have been together when the fight broke out, Elizabeth surmised, and Norrington would have protected the governor at all costs during the struggle.

The thought made her feel guilty: James was a good man, and he didn't deserve the blow she was about to deal him. Elizabeth didn't want to hurt him, but she just couldn't accept his marriage proposal when her heart belonged to someone else.

"Elizabeth?" Governor Swann had spotted Elizabeth from the corner of his eye, "What are you doing out here?"

Elizabeth spared Norrington a curtsy before beaming at the governor, "Father, you will not believe all that has transpired! I was inside my room when I heard strange noises coming from the streets. When I looked out my window, I saw all that pirates were attacking the port. Moreover, I noticed a small group of pirates making their way directly to _our house!_ They knocked on the door as if nothing was wrong, then stormed their way inside the mansion once the butler let them in. I was on the stairs at this point, and when two of the pirates saw me, they pointed me out and I had to run before they could catch me. I hid in my room, but found myself defenseless when they discovered me."

Norrington tensed at this part of the story, and Elizabeth knew he was blaming himself for not being present to protect her. She thought of consoling him, but decided to continue with her story instead. "Four of them took me captive and they were forcing me towards their ship when suddenly, three fell. The other let go and I turned around to see that Mr. Turner had come to my rescue! He engaged _all four_ pirates in a swordfight, and managed to hold them all off!"

Elizabeth beamed at her father, silently willing him to understand just how amazing Will was. At his eager nod, she told him the rest of the story, making sure that all of Will's heroics were at the forefront of the story.

"You say that he managed to fight off _four pirates_ all by himself, even with a bad head wound?" The governor was clearly impressed. "Imagine, an untrained man—not even a member of the military—and yet he manages to defeat four pirates all on his own. Then, to top it all off, he convinces them to leave Port Royal alone forever? Why, I never would've expected all this from a man of his stature. A lowly blacksmith has saved all of Port Royal, imagine that!"

Elizabeth was just as caught up in the story as her father, but she scowled at some of his words. "I hardly believe it's proper to refer to the man who just saved all our lives as 'a lowly blacksmith,' Father. Why, he's nothing short of a hero!"

Surprisingly, both men agreed. Elizabeth was astonished, to say the least, for she believed both of them were far too arrogant to ever acknowledge anyone with such a low social status as Will, as a good man. Maybe she underestimated them.

"Well, surely, the boy must be rewarded for his heroics."

Elizabeth nodded enthusiastically, ignoring the urge to cringe at her father's employment of the word 'boy.' Will was hardly a boy anymore. He was a man, and a fine one at that. Why couldn't her father see so?

"Commodore, you've been unusually silent in this conversation. What do you have to say?" Elizabeth smiled at Norrington, knowing that it would coax a response out of him.

"I must laud Mr. Turner for his courage, Miss Swann. It despairs me to say that few men would have placed themselves in such a desperate situation, even if doing so would enable them to protect such a virtuous young woman as yourself."

Elizabeth smiled thinly and offered her thanks for the compliment. Secretly, however, it irked her that Norrington had somehow turned Will's bravery into a tribute to her. She received enough praise from him, and wanted him to acknowledge Will's worth for once, instead of her own.

"Now, you must excuse me Miss Swann, Governor." Norrington nodded politely at them both when he said their names. "I must leave to attend a matter of business."

Elizabeth didn't know what 'business' Norrington could possibly be attending at such a late hour, but she knew her father wouldn't approve if she questioned him on it. Instead, she simply nodded and bid him farewell. The governor did the same, and they both watched as the commodore took his leave.

Weatherby Swann waited until Norrington was out of sight before he turned to Elizabeth and offered her his arm. "Shall we go inside?"

Elizabeth nodded and hooked her arm around her father's, enjoying the security she found there. As they entered their mansion, however, an uneasy feeling settled over her. Why, she didn't understand. After all, she was no longer in danger and had been rescued by none other than William Turner. So why did she feel as if something terrible was about to happen?

* * *

**That's the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Some things about myself: I'm a high school senior who gets much more homework than should be allowed, so I'll update this story as often as I can, but please don't expect new chapters every other day. Also, I'm 17 years old (female) who absolutely LOVES to read and write. I'm writing this story in response to an author's note from another story (I forget which one) who complained about the lack of Willabeth stories and asked other writers to contribute. I completely agree with them that we need more Willabeth stories (I love reading them, personally) and figured that I may as well try writing one. Still, I'm sure a lot of Willabeth fans would appreciate it if those reading this author's note (if anyone is) would write stories too. Please! I'm begging you. :) (Extra quick updates for those who respond!)**

**Anyways, ****I admit that I'm pretty new to this (it's my first story), so I know I've got a lot to learn. Still, I look forward to becoming a better author through practice, and I'd appreciate your feedback in reviews. Criticism is fine, but please be polite and constructive with it, so that I learn to write better—flames that rage on about how horrible I am but that don't point out what the problem with my writing is won't help me. **

**So… I just want to say thanks for taking the time to read my story, and please review. Also, come back for the next chapter if you enjoyed it. **

**Long live Willabeth!**


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